Transcript for Throwback Thursday: Reflecting on the Trailblazing Career of Barbara Walters

We're special edition of -- throwback Thursdays we bid a fond farewell to a dear friend divorce Barbara Walters got a big sendoff last night at a celebrity studded cocktail party thrown by her closest friends. And ABC news colleagues farmers last official day here will be tomorrow. And what a -- an amazing career she's had nearly fifty years on the air almost forty of them right here at ABC news is nearly impossible to quickly sum up her accomplishments but among the high points. In 1964 she was hired at NBC as the -- girl just pretty much limited to making small talk. And reading commercials. By 1974 she was named co host of the today show with -- doubts. And just two years later Barbara broke the first of many glass ceilings and broadcasting signing a contract here at ABC. To become the first woman to co host an evening network news -- cast in 1984 she reunited with Hugh downs on ABC's 20/20. And in 1997 she moved back to morning television co creating the show she is co hosted for the past seventeen years the view. And there's no question that Barbara's biggest claim to fame has been her unprecedented interviews from world leaders and loyalty to celebrities. But back in 1978 Barbara found herself on the other end of the -- and being interviewed for German television by a young reporter named -- hot. Who later went on to become an associate director right here on world news now let's take a listen. You'll. Who want to -- want -- to follow up was so they've ritual was in the central -- -- evils they found no fear that in corpus. And how did -- -- -- effect your later career. Throughout the Latin -- There -- several of them would say to big nightclubs. Which -- -- I guess very similar to kind of big Broadway shows today so I grew up. -- -- To a degree -- show business atmosphere because my father about my mother had. Has a very conservative -- Manhattan apartment. I think what it meant was that I met a great -- -- -- -- -- many celebrities and realize that they were people. So -- -- not being too much and our people. On the other hand because -- moved so much when I was a child to different cities where my father had. We'll show host I think that -- -- totally had the feeling of belonging. All I had a feeling of security you know show business is up one day in they -- And so. There was always a need me to want to work -- to know that I could in my own living at a time when. Other young women went right about that. Also you've got accustomed to had an early age to be on famous people that would. I bet that -- -- -- the wasn't a big deal which you realize that they let people ships and you realize that they wanted to talk about their problems to and that. Uday there was more than just one side to -- and you also realized that could all be over tomorrow and that's important enough. -- also touched on a topic of particular importance to women that's just -- rattle relevant today as it was back in 1970 balancing work. And family. I find it very -- you constantly being pulled in one direction of the -- And I all I bought my child alive right -- -- is. A constant battle to spend more time with their battle for me she's fine she's very happy I feel I've mr. -- -- On the other hand I have an exceptional job and when you work in this kind of the business. You have to take -- -- on the trips when they're called into the work when it's necessary. I can't imagine myself however working. Year after year for the next five years ten years I can't see myself. As Walter Cronkite for example that the age of 6162. Stale on this. Madness this this this rapid -- of travel and work and daily schedules. Some who led all of -- C expect that -- be chasing those daily schedule -- magnificently knew what may we at a right into her -- and believe from all of us hero world news now we salute you Barbara.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

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